‘Trembling’ artificial flowers and a butterfly adorn this intricate hairpin, made by a craftsman who created the blossoms with ingenuity and a keen understanding of the materials. Small segments of pith were partially dyed in pink, then skilfully cut to represent the densely layered petals. The leaves are made from plain-weave cotton, with an application of a green shiny coating on the uppermost side. Fine iron wires and pith paper were used to fashion the butterfly, with the wings further embellished with watercolour and glass sequins. This combination of flowers and butterflies was immensely popular in China.
This hairpin was previously on loan to the museum by H.M. Commissioners for the Exhibition of 1851. It is one of the few known surviving examples of the traditional Chinese craft of tongcao hua (‘pith-paper artificial flowers’). The painting depicts a street vendor selling pith-paper artificial flowers, with the scene described in the accompanying caption.